A Marine, who is native of Gloster, was expected to be returned to the United States after being wounded in a bomb blast in Iraq.

Sgt. Brantley Ravencraft, 25, received shrapnel wounds to the left thigh, back and arm and sustained a ruptured ear drum in the blast that took place more than a week ago, his mother, Charlotte Ravencraft of Gloster, told the McComb Enterprise-Journal.

She said Brantley was on foot patrol about 100 yards ahead of the other men.

“He saw it and knew what it was and he turned to run. He turned his left side to it and that’s the side he got most the shrapnel in,” she said.

Charlotte. Ravencraft said the family didn’t find out about the incident until Aug. 25, when Brantley called to tell them he’d just gotten out of nine hours of surgery. She said she has yet to learn full details of the incident.

Brantley has been in a military hospital in Germany and was expected to be moved to Andrews Naval Base in Washington, D.C.. From there he will go to Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital in North Carolina.

This was his third tour in Iraq, and he had about 50 days left. He had also served in Afghanistan, his mother said.

“He’s excited about coming back to the States. He’s just very lucky. Everybody’s been so nice and caring. Everybody’s praying. That’s what brought him through this is God,” she said.

Ravencraft was an Amite School Center graduate.